Another CI failure story. No improvement in speech!

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New Member

Most of the children who were my daughter's friends growing up were implanted around 88-92 and my daughter is the only one who needed to be reimplanted but we were aware that although the internal part is intended to last a lifetime, there was no guarantee that it would.

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New Member

AS I already mentioned I was just recently implanted and they make sure I know that although it isn't likely that "If the internal device stops working it will be replaced and another surgery would be needed".

I know that's true with absolutely every electronic device. That's just common sense.

New Member

A child would face 2 possibly 3 or more reimplantation in their lifetime.

Before the operation, My surgeon explained that I could be re implanted more than once in my life time and I am 32. I am happy to accept this.

This is depends on the mechanism failure, keeping up with upgrades. Most surgeons doesn't really reimplant for the sake of upgrades depending on age of internal implant (this is one of reasons why i chose Cochlear because of backward compablity). In UK the processor is upgraded every 5 years unless there is reason.

New Member

A child would face 2 possibly 3 or more reimplantation in their lifetime.

Before the operation, My surgeon explained that I could be re implanted more than once in my life time and I am 32. I am happy to accept this.

This is depends on the mechanism failure, keeping up with upgrades. Most surgeons doesn't really reimplant for the sake of upgrades depending on age of internal implant (this is one of reasons why i chose Cochlear because of backward compablity). In UK the processor is upgraded every 5 years unless there is reason.

New Member

It's all down how long the implant holds out but with advancing techology is good to upgrade but they keep changing all the time and not to mention fast! it's not good for the patient to keep going under the knife everytime the upgrade comes out, I guess every 20 -30 years in a child's life time is enough anyway.

Active Member

It's all down how long the implant holds out but with advancing techology is good to upgrade but they keep changing all the time and not to mention fast! it's not good for the patient to keep going under the knife (risks of infections, scar tissue etc) everytime the upgrade comes out, I guess every 20 -30 years in a child's life time is enough anyway.

New Member

Many people are "waiting for technology to improve" or "Something better to come along" before doing something. I can understand this to some degree. I myself waited because when I first looked into the CI it was new. So I wanted to first learn from the examples and experiences of others. But it's been quite some times now and today thousands have gotten it. So I decided to look into it again because there have obviously been enough time for the device to have gone through it's "Trial and error" and "Improvement" stages. I mean it's a safe bet that there's "Always something better on the way". So I have no issues with that state of mind.

But, this is always going to be the case. If someone decides to wait say 10 or 20 years for technology to improve. Then that's all fine. Just keep in mind that even in 10 or 20 years this same thing will take place. People then will also be "Waiting for something better".

So the decision then is "Will I regret not having been able to experience sound 10 20 years ago?". Especially since it is possible for some "procedure" or "devices" to be removed, changed or upgraded.

Reminds me of the old saying, "Play hard to get for to long you don't get got."

41°17′00″N 70°04′58″W

We are hoping to upgrade to the new N5 this year, just received the documentation from our hospital's CI clinic authorizing it, for insurance purposes on Friday. The internal device is more or less the same (although the new one is smaller -- I'm envious), so there's no reason for surgery. The new external processor is completely compatible with the internal device and I expect that to be the case with subsequent upgrades, as well.

We were told of at least a 60-70 year estimated lifespan for the internal component and no expected need for reimplantation during her lifetime. But we went into this expecting to reimplant again in Li-Li's lifetime, not due to device failure, but as Faire Jour mentions, because I very much doubt my very-wired little one will want to be using yesterday's technology 20, maybe even 10 years from now. I take a look at my old laptop from 20 years ago, and can't believe it's the same animal we use today.

The implant device is just under the skin, so in the same way that it can be removed for an MRI if needed, it can also be replaced without extensive surgery. The electrodes, however, are a different story. If future CIs can put more than 22 electrodes to use in the cochlea, then we would want to take advantage of that if possible, and that's significant surgery, definitely not something we'd want to do every 5-10 years.

41°17′00″N 70°04′58″W

I'd agree with SR171Soars: much as I think we'd be open to upgrading Li-Li's processor however frequently improvements come out, and the internal device just under the skin again in her lifetime, I imagine it would take an awful lot of benefit/improvement and mitigation of the risks involved to mess with the electrode array deep in her cochlea.

But I do have high hopes for the Singularity and advances far beyond what we can imagine now.

New Member

Yes you have the right to post from both sides but you should also provide sources to back up the claims otherwise they are just claims. There is alot of misinformation out there and some people (I am not saying you are doing this) even make stuff up just to fuel the fire.

New Member

ummm, what utter nonsense is this? The implant itself is built to last one's lifetime. There may be some rare cases where an implant can fail but not many. It it did, then it can be replaced. There are people out there with older implants still going after 20+ years.

As for the processors, they age as anything else will like has and that is to be expected. Anybody expecting a ci processor to last 20 years is totally unrealistic. I would expect them to last maybe 10 years at best (there are always some that last longer of course). Therefore, i expect to have to replace them (processor) just like when i had has.

New Member

New Member

I want you guys to know this: Due to privacy rights for patients, doctors do not really disclose the failures of any procedure. This is why we do not hear about it as often as they do actually happen.

I've heard failure rates for CI was in a high % neighborhood. I will not state what the % is primarily because first: I am not a doctor, second: I do not have a good source, third: I do not want to influence anyones decision.

I know of a model who got a paralysis of the face after having the operation.
I also know of a lady who was an interpreter getting a CI (I dont know why, she could have used HA's but..) because she loved her occupation. She said it was the worst thing she has ever done in her life. The sounds is not really what you hear as a hearing person.

Just saying that the doctors will glamorize the implantation (for obvious reasons) and not tell you the actual failure rates, just because the information is not handy.

When I had my daughter first tested for her hearing loss, I went to the Denver University medical center to have it done. Guess what was plastered all over the walls - CI posters. No hearing aids, no other means of accommodations, etc. Personally, being a Deaf individual, I found that audist.

That is all I have to say. Just wanted to have that small piece of input.

Here is some recent Nucleus implant reliability information and Med-EL reliability information if you're interested. The Cochlear information is the most useful, as it gives you some indication of the reliability of devices over 20 years. Other manufacturers don't seem to report results for implant systems they no-longer manufacture. In saying that, the implant portion of the Med-EL and Advanced Bionics devices has changed considerably over the last decade, wheras the materials used in the Nucleus devices have remained the same (ME & AB have switched to similar materials) so older reliability stats may no longer be relevant.

New Member

My youngest daughter Samara was implanted when she was 1.3 years old. Now her implant age is 1 yr and 4 months old. She was implanted with the N5 bilateral implantation. Now her left implant has failed and is due for corrective surgery early Nov. My queries are:

Since she is on the high risk with the N5 on the other side too- should be remove both and have freedom implanted on both sides?

If we choose to keep the good right implant as is and go with freedom on the left side - what is the difference in hearing? is the clarity the same with the CP800 processors?

What about upgrades in the future (compatiability) with new technologies?

How long will she take to regain her hearing as it was before failure?

We have been told she needs 6 months of AVT too.
She has been showing very slow progress and now this failure takes us back so much.